²² “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And ^(T)He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

²⁹ And as Isaiah said before:

Present Condition of Israel

³⁰ What shall we say then? ^(C)That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, ^(D)even the righteousness of faith; ³¹ but Israel, ^(E)pursuing the law of righteousness, ^(F)has not attained to the law ^[b]of righteousness. ³² Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, ^[c]by the works of the law. For ^(G)they stumbled at that stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written:

Israel Needs the Gospel

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for ^[d]Israel is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness ^(J)that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of ^(K)God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own ^(L)righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For ^(M)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, ^(N)“The man who does those things shall live by them.” ⁶ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ^(O)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ⁷ or, ^(P)“ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? ^(Q)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

^14 (A)When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and ^(B)understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that ^(C)defile a man. ^16 (D)If^[a] anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

^17 (E)When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. ¹⁸ So He said to them, ^(F)“Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, ^[b]thus purifying all foods?” ²⁰ And He said, ^(G)“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. ^21 (H)For from within, out of the heart of men, ^(I)proceed evil thoughts, ^(J)adulteries, ^(K)fornications, murders, ²² thefts, ^(L)covetousness, wickedness, ^(M)deceit, ^(N)lewdness, an evil eye, ^(O)blasphemy, ^(P)pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

A Gentile Shows Her Faith^(Q)

^24 (R)From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre ^[c]and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be ^(S)hidden.